Diddy

Biography

J. Lone

It was a tough Valentine's Day for the brokenhearted Diddy as he announces his split from Lopez. Despite several grand gestures – releasing 100 white doves and 100 pink balloons outside her L.A. home to celebrate the opening of her film The Wedding Planner and surprising her at a Manhattan recording studio with a serenade by pal Luther Vandross – it isn't enough to keep Lopez from ending the relationship.

July 10

The Sampling Continues

Diddy claims his latest album, The Saga Continues... is more creative than his past work. "I think this is a show of progression, being that I didn't use any samples," he tells the Chicago Sun-Times. But 12 out of 17 tracks use samples, albeit not songs that had been hits. "People always try and criticize me for using pop hits," he says. "We did not do that this time." Unfortunately, this results in lackluster critical reaction.

2002

October 19

Making Bands

As executive producer of MTV reality seriesMakingthe Band 2, Diddy assembles a hip-hop group calling them Da Band, while making them do numerous menial tasks – like walking seven miles roundtrip to Brooklyn's Junior's Restaurant to fetch him some cheesecake. But he helps them record an album for Bad Boy, and returns with MTB 3 in March 2005, assembling the R&B girl group Danity Kane.

2003

November 02

Diddy Runs the City

In order to raise $1 million for children's charities and New York City public schools, Diddy enters the New York City Marathon. After training for the event, the mogul clocks in at a respectable 4 hours, 14 minutes and 54 seconds in the 26.2-mile race and ends up raising $2 million for the cause.

Puff Gets Political

Diddy adopts a new nickname, "Citizen Combs," and slogan, "Vote or Die," in an effort to get young people voting. He dubs the non-partisan campaign Citizen Change, telling PEOPLE, "I'm trying to utilize my powers as a cultural, youth and minority leader," to educate and empower youth and minority voters. In 2005, he also changes his nickname from P. Diddy to just "Diddy."

2006

August

Mating, Marriage & Music

Diddy and longtime girlfriend, Kim Porter announce that they are having twin girls, and appear on the December cover of Essence together. Diddy tells the magazine that he isn't ready for marriage: "It's not a reflection on how much I love Kim. It's that I'm just learning how to be a good boyfriend." In October, he releases his latest album, PressPlay

December 21

Daddy Combs

Longtime girlfriend Kim Porter, 36, gives birth to twin girls, D'Lila Star and Jessie James. Regarding the surprise of having twins, Diddy, 36, tells PEOPLE, "I never would have thought that in a million years. It goes to show just how great God is." Diddy is already a proud father to his and Porter's son, Christian, and 12-year-old Justin, whose mother is ex-girlfriend Misa Hylton-Brim.

2007

May

Diddy the TV Producer

Diddy produces a slew of reality shows on MTV, including finding a male group on MTB 4 and following Run-D.M.C. member Reverend Run and his family on Run's House. He also produces HBO's P. DiddyPresents:The BadBoysofComedy. In 2008, he returns with Battleof theSexes:MakingtheBand 4 (right), where he pits his top-selling female band, Danity Kane, against his new formed male band (and solo artist, Donnie Klang).

July 10

Diddy & Porter Split

Diddy and Porter call it quits only six months after she gave birth to their twin girls. In September, Porter opens up to Essence.com that the rift came after she found out that Diddy fathered a child with another woman. The other baby was born five months before their twins arrived. "I invested 10 years, I have children, and I've always stood by him. But now it's time for me and what I want to do for Kim," she tells Essence.